State Rep. Dan Carter Officially Announces He Will Challenge Blumenthal for U.S. Senate Seat

DANBURY, CT — Danbury's State Representative for the 2nd General Assembly District, Dan Carter (R), officially announced Monday that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Richard Blumenthal.

Carter made the announcement on Monday at the state capitol. He said in his speech Monday:

"Dick Blumenthal has had close to 40 years to prove himself, including six in the U.S. Senate. While Islamic killers terrorize western allies, Dick talks about the perils of AstroTurf. While real estate prices continue to crater, Dick talks about genetically altered salmon."

Carter is the Ranking Member (Republican Leader) on the legislature’s General Law Committee, and member of the Education and Finance, Revenue & Bonding committees.

"I think it's time for Connecticut to have some serious representation in Washington. Blumenthal has been much more worried about bigger airline seats and he'd rather give a nuclear weapon to Iran and will protect us from maple syrup when he should be more concerned with the economy, national security and health care," Carter said.

Carter told Patch that Blumenthal is "a household name and has been around a very long time but he is part of the political elite and it's time for him to go." He also said that Blumenthal's decision to align with those who have cut funding to hospitals "as Malloy did," was "clearly a bad idea."

Last month CNBC television host Larry Kudlow bowed out of the race after signing a new extension with the network, a move that likely led to his decision not to run against incumbent United States Sen. Blumenthal.

Carter, who serves Newtown in the 2nd General Assembly District, said a hot topic of discussion right now is gun control. "I understand how people feel, but at the end of the day, the way Dick Blumenthal is going after guns is not going to fix the problem. You don't go after the grocery stores to ban guns to fix the issue."

He also said another very important issue to people he has spoken with is the economy.

"In Connecticut, we've had people taxed out of the state, or sued out of the state. The same policies and mindset that Dick Blumenthal and Dan Malloy have hurt businesses in the state. The bottom line is that I think it takes somebody with more backbone to do the right thing."

Rep. Carter has worked with legislators in the House and Senate to support bi-partisan legislation aimed at giving small businesses the assistance they need to grow and create jobs. He has also been very vocal regarding overspending, tax increases and initiatives that inhibit job growth.

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Carter, 48, a father of two, served as a pilot based in Saudia Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. He also did two tours in Bosnia and is a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He is serving his third two-year term as State Representative for the 2nd General Assembly District covering Bethel, Danbury, Newtown and Redding.

Related:

• Redding Resident Larry Kudlow Signs New CNBC Contract
• Redding's Larry Kudlow Bows Out of US Senate Bid

Photo: State Rep. Dan Carter, Credit: Lisa Weir, Autumn Studios Photography